The First Time I saw Residente Perform

During the summer of 2006, just before I returned to the island of Puerto Rico, I decided to go to Central Park and watch Residente perform as a member of the group, Calle 13. My life partner Lucy had become a fan, and I went to Central Park to please her more than I was interested in going.

As we waited on a hot summer day, we listened to a band from Mexico who had a mix of electronic music and was not doing the best job. I was anxious to watch Calle 13 live for the first time. After Residente, a rock legend Gustavo Cerati was also performing.

Residente and Calle 13 Took the Stage

After listening to music that didn't interest me, Calle 13 took over the stage; as soon as the band started playing the energy of the crowd accelerated from zero miles to 100mph.

The performance started, and we go to experience the great talent of the collective of musicians performing. It was at that moment where I became a fan of Calle 13 including Visitante and the now solo performing artist, Ile.

Even more admirable was seeing the commitment of La Calle 13 when talking about social issues. I have written many times on this blog of watching them. But where Calle 13 captivated me was when he sang the song "Querido FBI" which was bringing awareness on how the FBI assassinated Filiberto Ojeda Rios. We fast forward to 2017, and we can see how US interests once again are hurting the island and are being protected by law enforcement.

I became a Calle 13 Fan After the Central Park Performance

After watching Calle 13 live in Central Park, I became a fan, and 11 years later I continue to enjoy the work of Calle 13 musicians. I went to a concert in July of 2007 at Orlando's Hard Rock Cafe where the place was not full, but the band played like they were performing for a million people.

Residente's commitment to Activism

When I chose to create this blog my main objective was to create awareness on social issues while having a tool to share my experiences. And help others if they want to go the entrepreneurial route.

Few Artists like Rene dedicate a good amount of time to participating and spreading the word on social injustices. I've seen his documentaries on Latin America's story and have seen him at protests here on the Island to stop the spraying of Naled and the government's abuse of power.

Rene AKA Residente as an Ally

Last year at a Naled Protest I was able to meet him and chat for a few seconds. It was hard to talk about activism when most people were too excited to take a selfie or picture with him. From that moment on I have seen how Rene has helped me when I am sharing content and creating awareness.

Residente a Voice for the Oppressed

Residente's social work is global. He is a voice for Latin America and the rest of the oppressed world. A good example was his visit as stated on his youtube channel.

Residente and Common went to a maximum security prison in California to perform and discovered the truth of doing a hard time.

If you watch the video below you will see a few minutes of Residente sitting down with prison inmates in their early to mid 20's who went in when they were children (teenagers).

I guess watching the video below captivated me because as a kid I remember visiting close family members who went into the prison system for petty crimes. One of my family members went in as a teenager and came out when he was in his late 20's.

Thankfully that family member is an example of how someone with the worst obstacles possible can overcome everything and become one of the hardest working and caring humans I know.

Watch below how Residente captures part of the story of these humans who were not given and are still not given a fair chance at succeeding.

Watch

Changes are needed in The U.S. Prison System

I also find this effort on showing others how the U.S. Prison system is setup to make minorities fail is a big start into uncovering how this is beneficial to large corporations who are using those who make mistakes to become wealthier.

There is more to cover into this very complex issue. But we start by having the conversations that Residente and W. Kamau have started and amplified.

Are you familiar with how the whole Prison System ecosystem works? Is it really to keep us safe?

My answer is a bit of keeping us safe while nurturing of modern slavehood where the costs are paid by taxpayers and the benefits are handed over to larger corporations.

What i Happening In Tallaboa Encarnación?

Take a Look at the

What is Coal Ash?

Coal combustion residuals, commonly known as coal ash, are created when coal is burned by power plants to produce electricity. Coal ash is one of the largest types of industrial waste generated in the United States. In 2012, 470 coal-fired electric utilities generated about 110 million tons of coal ash.

Fly ash, also known as "pulverised fuel ash" in the United Kingdom, is a coal combustion product composed of fine particles that are driven out of the boiler with the flue gases. Ash that falls in the bottom of the boiler is called bottom ash. In modern coal-fired power plants, fly ash is generally captured by electrostatic precipitators or other particle filtration equipment before the flue gases reach the chimneys. Together with bottom ash removed from the bottom of the boiler, it is known as coal ash. Depending upon the source and makeup of the coal being burned, the components of fly ash vary considerably, but all fly ash includes substantial amounts of silicon dioxide (SiO2) (both amorphous and crystalline), aluminium oxide (Al2O3) and calcium oxide (CaO), the main mineral compounds in coal-bearing rock strata.

Honest Government Advert - Visit Puerto Rico

What is the Decolonization of Puerto Rico?

Decolonization is the undoing of colonialism, where a nation establishes and maintains its domination over dependent territories. The Oxford English Dictionary defines decolonization as "the withdrawal from its colonies of a colonial power; the acquisition of political or economic independence by such colonies." ~Wikipedia

America’s Favorite Colony

The video also mentions how Puerto Ricans are 2nd Class Citizens even though they have served in every major war. Individuals like myself who served in the U.S. military don't have the right to choose the leaders that make decisions for us.

More of

Danny Fornaris

If I got a dollar every time Puerto Rico wanted to become part of the United States, I would be able to pay the Debt created by Corrupt Politicians and Bankers.

Is Puerto Rico part of the United States

Yes, Puerto Rico is part of the United States.

Now that I answered your question let me answer a few more that you might have in mind.

Can Puerto Rican's residing on the Island elect the U.S. President?

No. But the decisions of the President affect each Puerto Rican.

Do we pay taxes?

Yes, we pay our fair share of taxes. Some we don't even receive benefits from; just one example, Medicare.

How much money does Puerto Rico receive from the U.S.?

Well, the question should be how are the U.S. and bigger interests benefiting from Puerto Rico. I wrote this post years ago, and it's a clear that more is taken from Puerto Rico than what the U.S. invests.

Demonstration against Naled Aerial Fumigation held on July 6, 2016.

Is Puerto Rico Part of the United States as a State or a Colony?

Supposedly the government of Puerto Rico is a Commonwealth. That term is confusing since four other U.S. States (Kentucky, Massachusetts, Virginia, and Pennsylvania) also use the term. Wikipedia also explains the following:

"The term "Commonwealth" does not describe or provide for any specific political status or legal relationship when used by a state. Those that do use it are equal to those that do not. A traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good, it is used symbolically to emphasize that these states have a "government based on the common consent of the people​" - Wikipedia

When you look at the terminology and definition of Commonwealth, it is misleading. Instead, we have been a Colony since Spain came in and started the Genocide of our native Tainos and colonized those left on the island.

In 1898 the United States of America, after bombing and forcing themselves onto the Island, got Puerto Rico as a trophy from Spain at the end of the Spanish-American War.

We fast forward to 2017, and here we are sitting on a pile of debt created by Bankers from the US, Spain, Sweden (UBS) and a bunch of corrupt politicians.

A fiscal oversight board was imposed made up of 7 individuals, many with conflicts of interest and ties to the same folks who put us in the Massive Debt Puerto Rico declared bankruptcy on this past May.

Demonstration against Naled Aerial Fumigation held on July 6, 2016.

Distracting everyone with the Puerto Rican Status Referendum

So instead of auditing the debt on the Island and looking at what caused it, our current government decided they wanted to entertain the masses by creating a Puerto Rican Status Referendum.

The objective was to have Puerto Rican's confirm their loyalty to the U.S. But how can you affirm your loyalty to a Country who took you as war booty and has taken more than they have given. Well, that is a bit of the Story of our Island as a Colony.

But getting back to the Puerto Rican Status Referendum. This specific one was tailored by the Pro-Statehood Party to create an option where the Statehood option would win. They have used tactics to instill fear and show others how the relationship with the U.S. would be so much better if we became a state.

In simple terms, it's like telling someone who is in an abusive relationship, that by staying in that relationship, things will get better. But for some reason, the Pro-statehood party has used this tactic in an attempt to brainwash the most marginalized people into voting for Statehood.

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How to win a Contest when you're the only one competing?

Ask the PNP Puerto Rico's Pro-Statehood party. They have tailored and orchestrated a plebiscite to make sure the Statehood option is the only one to win. They initially excluded the current status on the ballot making it a Statehood vs. Independence question. There wasn't the third option which is staying as it current Territorial Status. The third option was included on the ballot before Sunday's vote.

What is the Probability of Puerto Rico becoming a State?

My friends ask me the question,"Is Puerto Rico part of the United States?" and they still don't understand the whole political status of the Island, don't feel lonely. Sometimes I feel that many of us on the Island don't have all the details into what the current relationship entails and how that would be different if it becomes a state.

Currently, we are a Colony and will continue to be Colony because it's beneficial to U.S. interests. Major Corporations like Wal-mart, Walgreens, Big Pharma, and many others benefit from Tax Incentives and Tax Havens that are used between the US tax code and Puerto Rico's tax code.

Will Puerto Rico become a State in my Opinion?

Short answer, No. Because no matter what the outcome I will be reading this status in my Facebook memories to see that many of us predicted the future. We will not get close to statehood.

I can only imagine a few good Ole Boys from the South, those who I served with in the U.S. Army (yes we can serve in the U.S. Military but can't vote for the Commander in Chief), not wanting their confederate flag, I mean their U.S. flag to have another star.

With so many movements against immigration, I'm not sure how many who voted for the current U.S. president would like bringing in a bunch of Latinos, Hispanics, Mexicans (yes I have been called this many times), Infidels and any other name you can imagine, becoming part of Making America Great Again.

Puerto Rico as a State does not Make America Great Again.

Just imagine asking someone who does not even know where the Island is the question, is Puerto Rico part of the United States? They would not be able to answer that question much less want Puerto Rico to be part of what they feel is their America.

A Boycott of this Puerto Rican status referendum.

Most Puerto Ricans are boycotting this Puerto Rican Status referendum. They are tired of answering the question is Puerto Rico part of the United States. Many like me would like the answer to be no in the future. We really believe that the relationship with the U.S. has not worked thus far; it might be time to look for a real change. Maybe Make Puerto Rico Great for Once.

Why are people boycotting the Puerto Rican status referendum.

Here are some of the Main Reasons

A waste of money we don't have - It's a waste of money. It would have taken 2 to 3 Million to Audit the Puerto Rico debt but they are spending 10 million to distract the attention from those who stole from the Island. So instead of answering the question of whether Puerto Rico is part of the United States and pushing toward statehood, we would rather focus on making sure less of our schools and critical government resources are not taken away.

The Decision is made by the Colonizer - The Final Decision to make Puerto Rico a state falls on the Colonize, not the Colony. So that means Congress and the rest of the U.S. would have to agree on allowing us into the Union.

All other Referendums were ignored by the U.S. - Especially the last one which supposedly stated that most of the voter base voted towards making Puerto Rico a State. That was in 2012 and in 2017 we are back to the drawing board.

It's a Rigged Election - Puerto Rico currently does not count with a fully independent self-governing government. Those in power are the Junta de Control Fiscal imposed by Promesa. Their objective is to collect money from Wall Street without taking into consideration the well being of those that are not at fault with the debt. Those same groups have created this referendum that only supports what seems to be one reliable option. The options most people wanted on the Referendum was left out and then added before the vote on Sunday.

So before you think that Puerto Rico wants to become a state, understand that no election has ever had more than 50% of that vote. I want you to know that most Puerto Ricans will be boycotting the status referendum.

Many will be at the beach enjoying Sunday, others at the Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York City, and many others at the Pride Parade in Cabo Rojo.

If you are like me, boycotting the Puerto Rican Status Referendum, here are a few things you can do this Sunday that will help you learn a bit more about Puerto Rico:

1. Watch W. Kamau Bell's, United Shades of America, where he will be covering a different side on CNN of our relationship with the U.S. I caught some teasers in his feed which I will share below.

2. In Honor of the Puerto Rican Day Parade you can listen to a list of music curated by one of my favorite artists, Residente, on Spotify. He includes a bit of our music from way back to more recent bands from Puerto Rico like Alegria Rampante.

3. If your on the Island feel free to go to your nearest beach and enjoy a Summer day. If you are near Playas para el Pueblo in Isla Verde, I know there are a few events planned which are tied to boycotting the referendum.

So In summary when someone asks "is Puerto Rico Part of the United States", I can assure you the answer will be, Yes but it will never be a State.